Plans are moving forward for a major transformation at the Owl Parking Lot located at Fifth and H Streets in downtown Grants Pass, where city officials intend to create a combined parking area and public gathering space designed to serve the community for years to come. Scheduled for reconstruction in 2026, the project will convert the existing lot into what is being described as the Owl Plaza, a place intended to support events, pedestrian activity, and everyday downtown use.
Ahead of construction, the City of Grants Pass has launched a community participation effort that allows residents, families, civic groups, and local businesses to become a permanent part of the new plaza. Through a Buy a Brick campaign, participants may purchase an engraved paving brick that will be incorporated directly into the plaza’s patio surface near the sidewalks at Fifth and H Streets. The program is intended to offer a simple and accessible way for people to connect their names to a shared civic space.
Each brick is priced at two hundred fifty dollars and includes a brass plaque embedded into the surface. The plaque may display up to three lines of text, with each line limited to eighteen characters including spaces. The city expects approximately four hundred seventy bricks to be available, creating a defined but limited opportunity for participation before construction begins.
Eligibility for the program extends beyond individual residents. Civic organizations and businesses headquartered within Josephine County are also invited to take part, reflecting the city’s interest in making the plaza a representation of the broader community it serves. To maintain a consistent and respectful public setting, the city has limited the engraved text to names only. Slogans, phrases, and other forms of messaging are not permitted under the guidelines established for the project.
Submissions will be reviewed by the city, which has retained the authority to decline text that is deemed inappropriate for a public space. In those cases, purchasers will be notified and offered the opportunity to revise their submission. If no acceptable revision can be reached, a refund will be issued, ensuring that participants are not financially penalized for content decisions made by the city.
Interested participants may complete the required form online or visit City Hall in person at 101 Northwest A Street, Suite 202, to submit a paper form and payment. Payments may be made by check through the mail or by cash, check, or credit card when submitted in person.
City officials note that example bricks shown in promotional materials are for display purposes only and may exceed the character limits established for the Owl Plaza project. Final bricks installed at the site will adhere strictly to the eighteen character per line requirement.
Questions about the Buy a Brick campaign may be directed to Heather Smith at City Hall by phone at 541 450 6014 or by email at hsmith@grantspassoregon.gov. As planning continues, the Owl Plaza project is being framed as both a practical infrastructure upgrade and an opportunity for residents to leave a tangible imprint on a shared downtown space.